India

Islam In India Summary

Starting in the 7th century, Muslim invaders, traders, and migrants began to carry the faith and elements of its civilization to India. Muslim conquests and rapidly increasing amounts of conversions encouraged a variety of Hindu responses and attempts by followers of both religions to reconcile their differences. Many Muslim merchants visited the ports of India, as they were affluent trading sources at the time. Constant attacks from pirates from the Sind upon traders led the Umayyad to launch a campaign against them. Led by Muhammad ibn Quasim, only 17 years of age at the time, over 10,000 warriors were sent to avenge the assault on Arab shipping. Quickly, he claimed much of northern India, as well as the Indus valley to the northeast, to be part of the empire. The result of this conquest had little effect on the people of the region. Many of the small regions with local leaders surrendered their towns easily, as conquerors promised lighter taxation and greater religious tolerance. The Arab overlords treated both Buddhists and Hindus as protected “people of the book.” This meant that although they were obliged to pay special Muslim taxes, non-Muslims enjoyed the worship of whatever religion they pleased. Soon, though, small skirmishes began to break out, and weakened Muslim control in the area. In the 12th century, Muhammad of Ghur, a Persian military commander put together a string of military victories that bring the Indus valley and much of north Central India under his control. He made the capital of the new Muslim Empire at Delhi, in the very center of India, thus, rooting Islam directly to the subcontinent. People could not move, without seeing it around them.
Although the Muslims fought their way into India, their interaction with the indigenous peoples soon came to be dominated by accommodation and peaceful excnanges. Sizeable Muslim communities developed in different areas of the subcontinent, nonetheless. Few of these converts were won forcibly. Merchants were the main carriers of the faith, as they spread it along the coast, and inland. Sufi mystics shared alot with Indian gurus, and wandering ascetics in both style and message. The Sufi mosques and schools became centers of regional political power. Sufis organized their devotees in militias in order to fend off bandits or rival princes.
Buddhists were the main group of people that converted to islam. Untouchables, and low-caste Hindus, were also attracted to the new religion, as their status within society would not be as low. A majority of conversions occured from the desire of Hindus or Buddhists to escape the Muslim rulers levied on non-believers. Intermarriage also increaced the size of tie Islamic community.
Islamic syncretism also occured in vast amounts during this time. Indian learning was transmitted all throughout the Muslim lands, as Islamic civilization was enriched by India's skills and discoveries. Indian scietific learning was extremely, as Indian scientists rivaled the mos advanced in the ancient world. Hindu mathematicians and astronomers traveled to Baghdad after the Abbasids came to power. Their works on geometry and algebra were transmitted into Arabic, and their telescopes were copied and improved by Arab astronomers. Most importantly, Arab thinkers in all fields used the Hindu number system. They adopted medicine techniques. Essentially, all previous works were translated into Arabic. Finally, the people who migrated to Muslim ruled areas in India adopted cultural ideas. They adopted clothing and hairstyles, and ate cultural food, etc. They also adopted Indian building styles and artistic motifs.
All in all, the Muslims, once gaining control of the land, were peacful people, who only wanted to integrate their own culture into society. There were few circumstances where they forced Islam upon the people, and were happy with coinciding with people of other cultures.

Islam In India Today

Today, Islam is the second most practiced religion in India, behind Hinduism, with 161 million followers, or about 14% of the population. From the point which Islam arrived in India, it has played a large role in the country's development. It has suprred indipendance movements, and inspired architecture, literature, and law.